Toyota Recall Information

We know that you are concerned about the Toyota recall. Below is a link to read all about it.

Basically, Toyota says that customers will start to receive notices from their dealers in the upcoming weeks and months, and that the entire recall will take up to one year. We have not heard of any problems with any of our customers vehicles, so we don't believe that you need to be concerned about having to do the update immediately.

If you have a keyless ignition and should have a problem, you must hold the button down until the car turns off. Pressing the button just once while driving will not shut the engine off.

The process is pretty straightforward, the mechanic will first determine which pedal type the car has. There were two manufacturers, one requires the metal insert and the other gets a modification to the pedal length and a computer update. The mechanic will then disconnect the wiring from the pedal and remove it from the car. He measures the distance between the spring and the bottom of the pedal housing to determine the thickness of the inserts needed. The inserts are placed and the tension is checked by hand to verify there is the correct amount of tension in the pedal. If it feels right, it is placed back in the vehicle. The next step is to connect a handheld computer to the car and check for the proper version of software running in the car. This is then updated to the newest version as needed (this process is known as "Flashing"). The pedal is double checked for tension after installation and the voltage is checked from the pedal while it is at idle position and again at full throttle position. The pedal actually has no mechanical connection to the car, the accelerator is done through electronics called "Drive by Wire".

Here's a list of the affected cars:
2009-2010 RAV4
2009-2010 Corolla
2009-2010 Matrix
2005-2010 Avalon
2007-2010 Camry
2010 Highlander
2008-2010 Sequoia
2007-2010 Tundra
2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe

The Pontiac Vibe is included in the list as it is built on the Toyota Matrix foundation. If you own any of these vehicles, you should be getting a letter in the mail regarding the recall or you can search the database to see if your call is affected by the recall. You may also call Toyota direct at 1-800-331-4331.

The inserts, about the size of a dime, take approximately 30 minutes to install and hopefully fix the problem of sticking gas pedals.

Here's a link to the video on Toyota's website - click here

T J Reilly owner